Meet the Nine Governors who Defected to APC as Party Claims Control of 31 States (Full List)
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ABUJA – Nigeria’s political landscape has witnessed a historic realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections, with nine state governors officially crossing over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the past year. Their defections have bolstered the party’s dominance, enabling it to claim control of 31 out of Nigeria’s 36 states.
The APC recently celebrated its expanding influence by posting “31/36” on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, signaling a sweeping realignment that has dramatically reduced the opposition’s foothold across the federation.
Ejes Gist News presents all nine governors who have led this political realignment, their former parties, and their confirmed defection dates.
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Complete List: Nine Governors Who Defected to APC
| No. | Governor | State | Former Party | Defection Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Umo Eno | Akwa Ibom | PDP | June 6, 2025 |
| 2 | Douye Diri | Bayelsa | PDP | October 15, 2025 (resignation) / November 3, 2025 (formal reception) |
| 3 | Siminalayi Fubara | Rivers | PDP | December 9, 2025 |
| 4 | Caleb Mutfwang | Plateau | PDP | December 18, 2025 |
| 5 | Abba Kabir Yusuf | Kano | NNPP | January 25, 2026 (effective resignation date) |
| 6 | Ahmadu Fintiri | Adamawa | PDP | February 27, 2026 |
| 7 | Dauda Lawal | Zamfara | PDP | March 9, 2026 |
| 8 | Peter Mbah | Enugu | PDP | March 2026 (confirmed by March 11, 2026) |
| 9 | Sheriff Oborevwori | Delta | PDP | April 23, 2025 |
Detailed Profiles of the Nine Defectors
1. Governor Umo Eno – Akwa Ibom State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: June 6, 2025
Governor Umo Eno officially defected from the PDP to the APC on June 6, 2025, at the Government House in Uyo. He stated the decision followed three months of wide consultation with critical stakeholders across the state and cited admiration for President Bola Tinubu’s leadership as a key motivating factor.
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Eno’s defection marked the first major breakthrough for the APC in the South-South region and signaled the beginning of the political realignment that would reshape Nigeria’s electoral map. Akwa Ibom had been a PDP stronghold since 1999, making his move historically significant.
2. Governor Douye Diri – Bayelsa State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: October 15, 2025 (resignation) / November 3, 2025 (formal reception)
Governor Douye Diri announced his resignation from the PDP on October 15, 2025, sending shockwaves through the South-South political establishment. He was formally received into the APC by party leaders, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, in Yenagoa on November 3, 2025.
Bayelsa State, the heart of Ijaw political consciousness, had been a PDP fortress since the return of democracy. Diri’s defection marked a significant realignment within Ijaw politics and extended the APC’s reach deeper into the oil-rich South-South region.
3. Governor Siminalayi Fubara – Rivers State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: December 9, 2025
Governor Siminalayi Fubara formally defected from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, describing the move as “one of the easiest things” he had done in his political life and a way to express gratitude to President Tinubu.
His defection followed months of intense political tensions in oil-rich Rivers State that had paralysed governance. Rivers State is one of Nigeria’s most economically significant states due to its oil and gas resources. Fubara’s alignment with the APC gave the ruling party a critical foothold in a region traditionally dominated by the PDP.
4. Governor Caleb Mutfwang – Plateau State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: December 18, 2025
Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s defection was formally confirmed on Thursday night, December 18, 2025, by APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, during the party’s 14th National Caucus meeting at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.
His move marked a key recovery for the ruling party in Plateau State, where the APC had suffered a heavy loss in the 2023 elections. Plateau State occupies a central position in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region with complex ethnic and religious dynamics, making Mutfwang’s defection strategically significant.
5. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf – Kano State
Former Party: New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Defection Date: January 25, 2026 (effective resignation date)
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf resigned from the NNPP effective Sunday, January 25, 2026, citing deepening internal crises within the party. His resignation letter was dated and submitted with that effective date.
His defection sent shockwaves through Kano State’s political establishment. Kano is Nigeria’s most populous state and a critical battleground in any national election. The move delivered a devastating blow to the NNPP, which had considered Kano its stronghold. The defection also carried symbolic weight, as Yusuf is widely regarded as a political associate of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the NNPP’s 2023 presidential candidate.
6. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri – Adamawa State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: February 27, 2026
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri dumped the PDP and defected to the APC on Friday, February 27, 2026, alongside 22 of his 24 commissioners. He personally picked up his APC membership card at K/Wuro Ngayandi Ward in Madagali Local Government Area.
Fintiri’s defection stands as perhaps the most significant political realignment in the entire wave. Adamawa State holds particular strategic importance as the home state of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2023 and a prominent opposition figure. Fintiri’s move dramatically weakened the PDP’s structure in the North-East and delivered a psychological blow to the opposition ahead of 2027.
7. Governor Dauda Lawal – Zamfara State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: March 9, 2026
Governor Dauda Lawal’s defection was confirmed on Monday, March 9, 2026, following an Appeal Court judgment that upheld a ruling restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention. Hours after the ruling, the PDP flag was pulled down at Zamfara Government House.
His defection consolidated the APC’s grip on the North-West, the region with the highest voter concentration in the country. Lawal’s move was particularly significant given Zamfara’s position as a state grappling with security challenges. His alignment with the federal government enhanced coordination between state and national security apparatus in addressing banditry and other threats plaguing the region.
8. Governor Peter Mbah – Enugu State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: March 2026 (confirmed by March 11, 2026)
Governor Peter Mbah’s defection was confirmed by March 11, 2026, with multiple sources listing him among the nine PDP governors who had crossed over to the APC.
Mbah’s move marked a historic breakthrough for the ruling party in the South-East region. His defection represented the first time the APC had gained control of a South-East state since the region became a PDP stronghold. Mbah, a businessman-turned-politician, had maintained a working relationship with the federal government despite his PDP affiliation. His move opened the floodgates for other South-East politicians to realign with the ruling party ahead of 2027.
9. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori – Delta State
Former Party: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Defection Date: April 23, 2025
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s defection on April 23, 2025, marks him as the earliest among the nine governors to join the APC. Delta State, one of Nigeria’s largest oil producers, had been a PDP stronghold for decades.
Oborevwori’s move delivered a crushing blow to the PDP’s South-South structure and gave the APC control over yet another oil-rich state. His decision reflected both national political calculations and local dynamics within Delta’s complex ethnic and political landscape. As the first South-South governor to defect, Oborevwori’s move paved the way for the wave of defections that would follow from Eno, Diri, Fubara, and others.
Chronological Summary of Defections
| Year | Number of Defections | Governors |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | Oborevwori (April 23), Eno (June 6), Diri (Oct/Nov), Fubara (Dec 9), Mutfwang (Dec 18) |
| 2026 | 4 | Yusuf (Jan 25), Fintiri (Feb 27), Lawal (Mar 9), Mbah (Mar 2026) |
Political Implications for 2027
The nine defections carry enormous implications for the 2027 presidential and general elections.
Governors are widely regarded as powerful political actors in Nigeria due to their control over state structures, grassroots mobilisation networks, and substantial financial resources. With nine governors now aligned with the APC, the party gains an overwhelming organisational advantage in campaign coordination and voter mobilisation across multiple states.
The trend has devastated opposition parties, particularly the PDP, which has lost eight governors to the APC. The NNPP has lost its only governor, effectively collapsing the party’s state-level structure.
Regional Breakdown
The defections have reshaped Nigeria’s political geography:
-
South-South: APC gains Delta (Oborevwori), Akwa Ibom (Eno), Bayelsa (Diri), Rivers (Fubara) – 4 states
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North-East: APC gains Adamawa (Fintiri) – 1 state
-
North-West: APC gains Zamfara (Lawal) – 1 state
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North-Central: APC gains Plateau (Mutfwang) – 1 state
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South-East: APC achieves historic breakthrough with Enugu (Mbah) – 1 state
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North-West: APC gains Kano (Yusuf) – 1 state
What Lies Ahead
With nearly a year remaining before the 2027 elections, analysts suggest the current wave of defections may only be the beginning, as more political actors reposition themselves in what is expected to be another fiercely contested national poll.
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The opposition parties now face the monumental challenge of rebuilding their structures from the ground up. Whether they can stem further defections and remain competitive may determine just how balanced 2027 ultimately proves to be.
For now, the APC’s claim of controlling 31 states stands as a testament to the effectiveness of its political realignment strategy—and a warning to opposition parties that the ground continues to shift beneath their feet.
